Generally, highly-integrated semiconductor devices have been formed by stacking conductive layers (for example, a conductive layer including a metal film and an insulation layer), and by interconnecting stacked conductive layers. The number of stacked conductive layers increases as these semiconductor devices become more precise and complicated. After the desired number of conductive layers are stacked, a bonding pad having a multi-layer structure that includes a plurality of conductive films is formed.
The bonding pad has a line structure disposed over a surface of the integrated circuit and is configured to provide a contact surface between an external pin lead and an internal circuit of the semiconductor device. A bonding wire provides an electrical contact between the pin lead and the bonding pad. During attachment of the bonding wire to the bonding pad, an end portion of the bonding wire is positioned to contact the bonding pad using a precise position adjustment machine. The machine exerts force on the bonding pad and causes deformation of an internal portion of the semiconductor device. For example, a lower portion of a pad region including a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitor and a specific circuit, which are used to reduce noise of the semiconductor device, may deform until a defect such as a crack or a void occurs in the semiconductor device. As a result, a micro bridge may form in the pad region and the peripheral region. In addition, as the degree of integration increases, the size of a region between two neighboring pad regions is reduced, and it becomes more difficult to form one or more conductive lines between the pad regions.